50 Shades

With all the hype of 50 Shades, I just left the theatre from finally watching American Sniper. I’m totally disturbed and need to be. Those are young men, giving their lives and sacrificing. True story. I sat through the movie, shaking my head the entire time. At the end, my heart was pounding. Everyone left the theatre in silence.On Christian radio, music for Easter is already playing. I’m so grateful. It places my heart where it needs to be, heart pounding, hand raising, head shaking.Do you see that Easter basket? As a child, I’d have about 50 shades of colors in my basket on any given Easter.

Do you see that car below? As a child, my fingers were nearly flattened in the car door. I cried my heart out. Do you see that tree? As a child, I stepped on a piece of glass and there, I cut my foot. I cried. Do you see that bike? That was my sister’s first bike. As a child, I didn’t get one when she did, and my heart hurt a tiny bit … because I wanted one, too. I probably cried.

Do you see that puppy? Her name was Happy. As a child, when my parents divorced, I never saw her again and never got to say goodbye to her. I cried my heart out.

We don’t always have a choice of the shades that get added to our life’s basket, do we? But many shades … we do choose. What will we let slip into the marrow of our souls?We must be careful what we let slip into the marrow of our souls. I will be careful what I let slip into the marrow of my soul.I’m thankful the sacrificial service of our countrymen slipped into the marrow of my soul. I’m on bended knee. More than 50 shades of sacrificial love.My heart hurts to see The Passion of the Christ … to see what it must have been like for Jesus to be beaten and hung on the cross. But He did it to save us, to break our chains of bondage. He did it for love. Sacrificial love, more than 50 shades of sacrificial love. On bended knee, I will let that truth slip into the marrow of my soul.Slipping into the marrow of my soul, God says true love is this—”Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.” —1 Corinthians 13: 4-7

Shelli, how you titled this is great. I'm wondering how many views your post has had because of it. Witty idea.

I also liked how you used it. The picture with the dog, ahhhh, so sad. Have you ever blogged about that besides this? Do you know where he went? To the humane society or to a neighbor? That's as sad as your family breaking up. I know that you and I don't write children's books, but maybe there's a story in that.